. >> reporter: that's because lake travis also supplies drinking water for cities, including austin, and supports recreation around the lake, like janet kaler's marina. she points out last year, in the middle of the severe drought, nearly 60% of the water drained from the lake system, went to the farmers. >> they want things to remain as they always were. that's not the way the world works. >> reporter: her marina is losing business. waterfront homes now sit hundreds of feet away from water. >> there's no question that there is a battle going on. look around you at the devastation of these businesses and the cost. it's immediate and now. >> a drought kind of makes you aware of what you don't have. >> reporter: becky motal heads the lower colorado river authority. the agency plans to build new reservoirs to meet demand from a population that cowl double by 2060, but that will take years. >> as the urban areas grow ask they have more of a demand for water, that water's got to come from somewhere. >> reporter: ron gertsen hopes that water will last long enough for his grandson to become